I saw one of our senior “pranksters” today. He came in to take a test and apologized to me. We talked for a while. He was defeated and beaten. He’s endured county jail, the loss of friends, suspension from school and the loss of the commencement ceremony.
The day before the smoke bomb he was a carefree senior enjoying his last few days of high school. His decision to be remembered backfired significantly. He called Friday the worst day of his life.
He made a mistake. He is suffering significant consequences. He shows remorse. He’s learning from his mistake. He’s figuring out who his real friends are, who forgives and understands, and who judges harshly. He is spending what would have been two fun weeks, the last of this time in his life, feeling as bad about himself as it gets.
But he’ll survive. He’ll pick himself up and move on. He’ll be strong and he’ll think harder and longer before making a decision. He’s still our kid. He still graduates with a diploma. He still has a future with hopes and dreams and potential. He’s just mixed in some significant regret. Most people I know have some of that mixed in.
I hope G-Town remembers that not one of us should be defined by just one day in our lives. We’re much more complex than one event. This young man must not be defined by one day. I still see the whole kid and I still like what I see.
That is a great post! Sometimes even good kids make big mistakes. The difference between the mistakes a generally good kid makes and what I will refer to as the more difficult kid is their ability to learn from the experience, to grow. It shows so much character that he came in to talk to you. It also shows how much these kids care about your own personal image of them. I hope this kid really knows how much all of us in G Town really still love him. Afterall, I have received your look of disapproval many times I can only imagine how bad that kid must feel.